Good Vibration Read online

  Finlay stopped and looked at her angry frustrated face and then got up, walked to the bag and pulled out the toy Samina had given him with the two prongs. He noticed his wife’s eyes widen as he went back down, put the thing on high speed and made sure she got an unforgettable orgasm.

  And hopefully, it was better than the man who had probably knocked her up.

  Sylvie sat uncomfortably in the big house in West Hampstead. She had never been there before and now Piers had been discharged she arranged, via Toby, to go and visit when his mother wasn’t in.

  She knew Alice hadn’t objected.

  ‘Do you want to come to my room?’ Toby cheekily asked as she smiled. ‘I’m good you know. I’ll give you the best time ever!’

  ‘I can hear you,’ Piers replied and shook his head as Toby stayed propped against the door. ‘Don’t sexually harass my guest.’

  ‘But daddy I was only being friendly!’ he groaned before flashing Sylvie a sexy smile. ‘I want to show her something.’

  ‘I bet you do!’ laughed Sylvie before turning to look at Piers. ‘You look better.’

  ‘How’s it been?’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about work,’ she said and looked around. ‘Are you sure she won’t turn up?’

  ‘Toby, make yourself useful. Go and get Sylvie a cup of tea,’ Piers said wearily. ‘And I’ll have a mint tea because the fuckers are stopping me from eating and drinking anything with fat in it. They say I have to lose weight and take exercise!’

  ‘Well, to be honest,’ she gently replied. ‘You have put on a few pounds, probably due to the munchies considering how much cannabis you smoke, and handsome as you are, you need to make it to at least ninety to celebrate the moment when Toby moves out.’

  Sylvie grinned at the young man who turned his nose up in the air and walked out.

  ‘How’s my stepson?’ he asked with a smirk. ‘His mother’s not saying anything about the business and Finlay isn’t asking me so I take it they have a plan.’

  ‘Don’t throw all your marijuana away as I might need it to soften down that man’s sharp edges.’

  Sylvie sat back for a moment and glanced at the family pictures seeing the man in question smiling at various times in his life. She realised there was one with an extremely beautiful woman wearing very strappy sandals and oozing gorgeousness. That was probably his wife.

  Self-consciously she looked at her shoes.

  ‘His marriage is in trouble, isn’t it? I heard a phone call on Thursday and he seemed pissed off,’ she sighed, trying hard to hide her small depression from telling Finlay a bit about her life. ‘I think he’s hiding here to avoid dealing with something back home.’

  ‘You shouldn’t snoop,’ he smiled, before his face froze for a moment. ‘He’s not happy but he hasn’t been since he met her. Finlay wants everything just so. He has plotted his life in front of him to succeed at everything before he’s forty. Work, marriage, kids. He’s nearly achieved everything and still something isn’t right.’

  ‘He must have loved you coming into his life when he was a kid,’ she laughed. ‘The total opposite of what he strives for.’

  ‘I thought I might change him, make him see things differently but he’s a consummated snob, like his mother, though he really is a lovely man.’ Piers grinned as Sylvie grimaced. ‘Whereas, that child of mine, seems to have inherited my inability to have any structure what so ever. I blame his mother for calling him ‘Tobius’. I wanted to name him ‘Bert’.’ Piers sighed for a moment as she laughed before examining his worried face. ‘I know you have a theory about this all, so tell me.’

  ‘Personally, I don’t think he likes the people, the product and the place. I expect he’s going to find fault unless we make money fast.’ She looked over her shoulder, hearing Toby create clatter from the kitchen. ‘The money you owe me, well we won’t transfer any into my account until-.’

  ‘No Sylvie, I have to pay you back.’ As Piers sat up she gently pushed him back down.

  ‘I can live without out it and soon as he’s out of our hair we can sort it,’ she said gently, seeing the man’s worried face. ‘It was a loan, it’s legal and I have part ownership. If he wants to sell it or close it down, I’m your winning hand. Piers, the company’s in your name and, yes your group is ‘Chambers Caplin’ but they gave you the overall power so he can sod off!’

  ‘You don’t know Finlay and what he’s like especially when he has his corporate head on.’

  ‘Which should be chopped off! I don’t want to know what he’s like, all I know he has to realise this business means too much to all of us and for very different reasons.’

  Juliette wouldn’t leave him alone. His wife was on heat and he was happy to oblige as another human hand, other than his right one, hadn’t touched his skin for weeks. As much as he adored her, she was very clinical on what she needed to turn her on and sometimes Finlay felt he was just following instruction while they fucked.

  As he opened his eyes, she was riding him with her legs bent either side, her hips humping him at full speed. He wondered if it mattered whose dick it was as she was so deeply intent on reaching her own orgasm.

  ‘Turn me over, push me on my front and take me from behind! I want it rough!’ she demanded and he did as he was told, but not to hurt her, pulling back her hair and thrusting as hard as he could.

  His hands wandered across her small breasts then just as he was about to touch her stomach, he stopped.

  He didn’t want to go there knowing what was inside.

  Finlay closed his eyes and pushed it out of his mind as he furiously fucked her, getting angry at the same time, but when he came he felt so relieved and incensed he immediately pulled out and threw himself back on the bed. Juliette was kissing and licking around his bollocks as she moved up his body.

  All he could think about was had the chef done the same to her and was it better. Then he met her eyes and he wasn’t quite sure.

  Something was wrong but he didn’t know what.

  ‘You’re wonderful,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I missed you so much. My pussy needs you. You don’t have to go back and-.’

  ‘I need a shower.’

  Getting up quickly, he went into the bathroom and wondered for a moment if his wife wanted him back for just sex. He’d heard from friends some women got extremely horny when pregnant and then glanced at the vibrator on the side of the sink. It was the first time he thought Piers’s company wasn’t all that bad.

  Later on in the afternoon, he went for a walk, trying to clear his head. They hadn’t spoken about the baby and he was just happy to be with her. Just as he was turning the corner he spotted Juliette strolling down the road. She looked beautiful and he let out a little sigh of appreciation. Then she smiled brightly. He wondered if she had spotted him before realising her look of joy was for someone else.

  It was Marc-Philippe.

  The black chef.

  Seventeen

  Sylvie and Daisy were walking to school on Monday morning. Her daughter wanted to talk about all things Christmas when it was only coming to the end of October.

  ‘And then we can pop in to see Grandma and have a Caribbean themed lunch,’ Daisy continued joyfully. ‘Or she can come and see us.’

  ‘You know grandma thinks I don’t cook as well as her and she’ll probably say it’s not right,’ Sylvie sighed for a moment. ‘Anyway she’ll want to fly to Guyana and get away from the festivities.’

  ‘Why can’t we go with her?’ her daughter sweetly asked.

  ‘Because, as much as I love grandma, I can’t stand going on holiday with her,’ she replied, remembering the fiasco when she turned seventy, the trip to Barbados and the ensuing fight witnessed by her husband and five year old daughter.

  Her mother had been a pain in the arse and her hubby said they were going to go back to Barbados to have a better holiday without the old bag.

  He died two months later.

  ‘Are you listening?’ Daisy asked as Sylvie
felt a deep pang for her husband. ‘Can we walk faster? Zara’s in the playground.’

  As soon as she walked into work, Sylvie knew something was up.

  There was hardly anyone around, so she walked around the warehouse and then up the stairs, only to find they were all crammed into the office and Finlay was conducting a meeting. For a moment she stood outside and watched him speak to the very captive audience as she opened her large bar of Green and Black’s milk chocolate and started eating it.

  Clicking over what she was witnessing, she wondered if this was his move to show her that he was the real owner of the company and therefore, he could conduct a meeting just as she was about to come in. Sylvie chewed on her square of chocolate and decided she didn’t want to play, feeling low about discussing Christmas and missing her husband.

  She turned on her heels and walked downstairs, not caring if she was missing out because, at that moment in time, all she missed was him.

  ‘Sylvie!’ she heard Samina call as she reached the ground floor. ‘Come to meeting.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He tell me to call you,’ said the woman, frowning heavily. ‘And he boss now so you have to do it.’ Samina gave her a wicked smile. ‘Me wind you up! It funny!’

  ‘Me sack you! It funnier,’ she replied and went back up into the office.

  Slipping behind the others, she stood by the window and her eyes looked up into the blue sky. There was a murmur in the background which she took to be Finlay’s voice and others talking, unable to concentrate while eating her chocolate. She wished everything was different and closed her eyes for a moment.

  Today was one of those days when she felt unhappy, hurt and let down but desperately lonely. She let out a sigh and looked across only to see everyone was staring at her.

  ‘She despress,’ said Samina, shaking her head. ‘She eat chocolate when she despress.’

  ‘Be quiet, innit!’ hissed Pria. ‘And you mean ‘depressed’.’

  ‘Also when I’m having a period,’ added Sylvie before smiling.

  Finlay stared at her for a moment.

  ‘So there you have it,’ continued Finlay. ‘I’ll speak to all of you individually to find out more about the productivity of the company.’

  ‘We work hard!’ said Samina defiantly as Sylvie shook her head for a moment. ‘Even Piers work hard when he here!’

  ‘Samina! Your bloody gob!’ Marianne said. ‘Can’t you keep it shut?’

  ‘I speak truth!’

  ‘Ya talk too much,’ said Matthew, walking to the door. ‘If ya excuse me I have deliveries.’

  Everyone got up and walked out slowly, except for Stephen who came towards Sylvie.

  ‘Did you have a good weekend?’ he asked cheerfully. ‘I went out clubbing and met some really hot chicks. It was great being single and carefree!’

  ‘I’m pleased,’ she smiled sweetly and walked to her desk, sitting down and pulling out her laptop.

  ‘Are you free to come out this week for a spot of dinner?’ Stephen asked, the idea making her want to gag.

  ‘I have a child and school days aren’t good,’ she said quietly, noticing Finlay was pretending not to listen but seeing his faint grin. ‘Call up one of your hot chicks. I’m sure they’ll be free.’

  ‘Yeah!’ he said, nodding as if she said something extraordinarily interesting.

  ‘Stephen, do you mind? We need to crack on,’ Finlay added and Sylvie forced a smile, taking a piece of chocolate and popping it into her mouth for some sense of happiness she wasn’t currently feeling.

  Discreetly, she felt the top drawer of her desk, knowing the key cards were in there and she needed some space. He didn’t speak to her as she sat working, looking through emails and constantly found herself walking back and forth between the offices, making conversation but not really listening.

  All she kept thinking was about Roo and how much she missed him.

  When it was noon, still not saying a word to Finlay, she closed everything down, opened the top drawer and put the key card into her bag before locking everything up. She didn’t have the energy to speak as she walked out of the building and went down the road, heading towards the hotel where the company had a bedroom for Piers to sleep and Sylvie to cry.

  Finlay had watched her all morning and he knew pain when he saw it, even though she was trying her hardest to disguise it. He’d forgotten about their conversation when she told him about her husband.

  This morning he instantly remembered.

  He got up and went to the kitchen to get a cup of tea and noticed Della talking to Gillian. They stopped when they saw him and Gillian smiled brightly.

  ‘Better get those orders!’ Gillian said cheerfully and walked out of the kitchen.

  ‘Hello again,’ he heard the other woman say in her deep Irish tone. ‘How’s it all going?’

  ‘Fine,’ he smiled, nodding for a moment and pouring out hot water into a cup which had a penis shaped handle.

  Della was standing close to him and he felt her body heat near his arm. He continued to make his tea before turning to look at her very attractive face. Instantly he wondered what she’d be like in bed and how Juliette would like to know he’d screwed someone else.

  ‘How are you arranging these one to ones?’ she asked, with a little smile. ‘Do we come to you or do you come to us?’

  ‘I’ll get Sylvie to sort it,’ he said and noticed the smile had increased in size. ‘Surely she can’t just work part time and eat chocolate.’

  ‘She’s not the company PA, you know. And you can ask her but I expect she’ll tell you to do it yourself.’

  ‘What was all that about this morning? Has she got a mental issue?’ As he asked he noticed the woman stop smiling for a moment before glancing away. ‘You can tell me as I’m sure she’s covered by some employment or disability act.’

  ‘The only disability she has is she’s still grieving for her husband. It’s only in the past eighteen months we found out she was a widow. I thought she was divorced or separated, like me.’ She smiled brightly and he knew she was giving him the come on. ‘Sylvie doesn’t like to talk about it and when she does, it’s only in small snippets. Most of the time she’s her usual cheery self.’

  ‘I don’t know what’s worse.’

  Driving to a meeting a few hours later, he went past Chiswick roundabout and headed towards the High Road. As he waited for a car to pull out of Power Road he looked ahead and saw Sylvie.

  She was walking out of a hotel.

  Finlay knew it was a large boutique place then glanced at his watch. It had been two hours since she left work. Immediately he honked his horn as she ignored it, then as the traffic moved he pulled up in front of her and noticed her visibly shocked face.

  ‘I’ll give you a lift,’ he said, leaning over as she inhaled deeply before forcing a smile.

  She’d been crying.

  ‘I just have to cut through Chiswick Park to get home but thanks,’ she said, leaning down as he noticed her red eyes. ‘Sorry about today, I wasn’t feeling well.’

  ‘It’s no problem.’

  ‘I need some air but thanks for the offer.’

  Finlay watched her walk as he drove off, all the time watching her in his mirror wondering what she got up to in the hotel.

  The following morning, after saying goodbye to her mother who was taking Daisy into school, Sylvie decided to walk to work. She felt better after getting an early night and two large brandies.

  All her sad feelings had gone and normality had returned.

  Briskly walking down the road she admired the light becoming brighter as the morning started to wake up and the early workers were out and about.

  Then she stopped on seeing the grey Porsche parked outside the building, realising Finlay was in work.

  She’d have to apologise and justify her working from home, which she had done as soon as she got back in. Holding onto her spare bag for her class at eleven o’clock, Sylvie opened the door and walked t
owards the steps before going upstairs.

  As she got to the office, Finlay was sitting at his desk and he smiled at her, which threw her for a moment, as she smiled back.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said and placed her things on the chair. ‘About yesterday I-.’

  ‘It’s personal so you don’t need to explain,’ he said gently, not diverting his eyes away from something he was reading. ‘But you’re better now.’

  ‘I wasn’t ill.’

  ‘Are you suffering from something I need to know about?’

  She looked up and realised he wasn’t glancing over at her. For a moment she thought about it and wondered if it mattered what she told him. It seemed a good opportunity to tell someone who didn’t give a shit.

  ‘Yeah, I’m suffering from a broken heart and occasional depression about losing the love of my life. It comes and goes but I’m not on medication and I won’t get the stapler and try to attack you, based on my emotional in-balance.’

  ‘I find using a hole punch and aiming it at the temples a more dangerous piece of stationery,’ he said and she stared at him for a moment, catching his eye. ‘But at this place there are far more dangerous items in the warehouse that people seem to think will give them some sort of sexual pleasure.’

  ‘Don’t be nice, I don’t like it,’ she said, feeling threatened.

  Finlay sat back in his chair and looked at her. For a moment their eyes were locked and she couldn’t fathom what he was thinking. Then she took the opportunity to examine his face and the cat like green eyes peering into her own.

  He was absolutely gorgeous.

  Sylvie tried to control her breathing thinking she was going mad and wondered if that was why he riled her so much. He was similar to her husband, physically, and even down to how he spoke. This she knew could be a major stumbling block on her part.

  ‘Oh shit!’ she said before looking away and typing furiously to knock the thought out of her head.

  ‘Are you sure you’re not on medication,’ he said, in a happy laughing tone. ‘I can understand why you might want to be, working here.’